University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Master’s Degree in Accountancy

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Joliet West High School Alumnus Jimmy Georgantas (’06) has always paired his great ambition with incredible dedication and integrity, resulting in notable success. Having recently passed the level 3 CFA test for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, this accomplishment has been years in the making.

From his days at Joliet West, Jimmy strived to take advantage of the many opportunities available to him. He thrived in athletics as a runner in the cross country and track & field team. He was also a committed member of the diversity team. Having a passion for music, Jimmy was also a very ambitious and active musician playing in West’s Jazz Band, Marching Band, and Symphonic Band.

The teacher that inspired him most was Kevin Caroll, the former band director. Jimmy says, “There aren’t many teachers that you have the opportunity to learn from for all four years of high school. Mr. Carroll was one of them and he had a profound impact on so many students. He was a great teacher and leader, but most importantly he never seemed to take himself too seriously and made everyone laugh on a daily basis.”

Pairing his ambition with action, Jimmy went on to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and a Master’s Degree in Accountancy. With endless ambition and perseverance, Jimmy has continued to develop professionally and has achieved the professional designations of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

He currently works as a Real Estate Asset Manager and is responsible for valuing, operating, leasing, and disposing of real estate assets throughout the U.S.

When asked what advice he would give to current high school students, Jimmy says, “Be ambitious, dream big, challenge yourself, and don't be afraid to take risks. Steve Jobs said it best, "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the only ones who do.”